New papers reveal Ian Fleming faced tax probe over 007 movie rights

Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels, may have been a master of the spy thriller, but he did not avoid suspicion from government himself – for the handling of his tax affairs, writes a parliamentary correspondent.

Inland Revenue papers released last week from the National Archive showed that, at one stage in the early sixties, tax inspectors were divided over whether some of his financial dealings amounted to ‘tax avoidance’.

The case arose over the handling of the film rights of Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker, which were gifted by Fleming to a family trust.

A Revenue board memo at the time said that ‘opinions may differ whether this is or is not tax avoidance’. But a special literary and artistic profits section ruled there was no tax liability.

In 1964 however, the Revenue officers changed their minds and decided there was tax to pay. Fleming himself died in August of that year.

It was not until three years later, with the loss of a test case against the author Hammond Innes, that the Revenue finally lost interest in Fleming’s finances.

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.

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